Coupling-bar for automobile-trailers.



J. KNAPP.

COUPLING BAR FOR AUTOMOBlLETRAILEBS.

APPLICATION FILED. JULY 14.1915.

1,250,899. 3 Emma Dec. 18,1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB mini, cINoINnA'rI, omo, Asslsnonyro THE SECHLEB AND oomrm,or

cmcrmm'rr, omo, A com-cannon or 01110.

i e e To all whom itmaylcbncern."

Beit'kn'ownqthat I ,I J,\con Kxarr, a citizen .of the United States, and a resident'of y the cityof Cincinnati, in the county of H amilton and StatefofOhiq hareinvented cer- I ,lin'pro'vements in @011- "ob'ile T railers, of

full, clear,and exof a trailer. It ding of a particularly adapt" rear frame of 'e Ford,has the he 'middle of the Q bj'ect the provid- 1m vhich th'er may be ]ustment; or proper, hei lit-of t'hi pivotal p pt of connection with t 'e drawbar of a trailer. i j

These objects are accomplished by that certain construction and"arrange1nent' of parts to be hereinafter more specifically pointed out and claimed.

Inthe drawings,

pling bar in place.

Flg. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. 'Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the bar.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation thereof. Fi 5 is [a longitudinal section thereof showing the adjustment piece in place.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the adjustmenigpiece. 1

The r r spring 1 of the automobile curves upward at 'the middle and is attached by a bolt 2 to the cross piece 30f the rear frame of the automobile. The frame piece is slightly curved upwardly at a at this point of attachment to form a bearing surface for the spring.

The coupling bar is provided with a. wide portion for attachment to the automobile, which is curved at its upper face at 5 to lie flush with the spring 1 at the middle of its curve. This portion has on its under side the flanges (i, 6, to lie one on each side of the under side of the spring, and a central aperture 7 to clear the bolt 2. At each side of this portion are provided the holes 8, 8, 55 which are slantingly inclined owing to the being had tofthe forming part a I ,with a rib 12,andtl lje s ank terminat rticularly a Ford Figure 1 is atop plan view of the couconrLmo-nnn son AUTOMOBILE-TRAILERS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 18 1917, Application filed July 14, 1915. Serial No. 39,749. 7

their ends passing through the said holes,

and tightened in place by meansof nuts 10.

The clips will be slantingly disposed and the parts are proportioned so that they will en gage over the base of the curve 4 of {the framepiece. -This curve in the framepiecethus Works togetherwith the clipsftti' hold the bar tightly. inplacecon the automobile;

The barhas ashank v )rtion l lreinfo ced,

flaring portion having sidewalls 1 a base 14. The sidewalls have lhg on them which sex-veto,receive the; 16, which are eml'iloyed' to secure v top of the flaring portion a'coverfp l ate 17 apertureand the cover plate ha spending aperture for the pi vo b Around these apertures on the ihsii housing so formed are bosses 1S, 1'8,\ vhich form a rounded contact for the draw bar, which is inserted therein. It can be seen that these rounded contacts will allow a twisting and rocking of the draw bar which would be impossible were they not provided.

It readily possible to secure the draw bar of the trailer for the automobile to this coupling bar by inserting its end into the housing formed as described, and to secure said draw bar pivotally by means of the pivot bolt 18, the bolt being loose in the eye of the draw bar to allow for slight twisting. But it is preferred to provide a means for adjusting the height of the pivotal point of the draw bar so as to avoid chance of (.lmvnward or upward pull on the part of the tractor automobile.

For this purpose a bifurcated coupling piece provided, comprising a fiat end 19 for securing by the pivot bolt and the two parallel 'ertical walls 20, 30. These walls are pierced with proper corresponding holes 21, 2'1, and the end 22 of the draw bar of the trailer is inserted between these walls and pivotally held in place lJ V h. bolt 23inserted through any desired pair of corre sponding holes. It is thus obvious that vertical adjustnn-nt of the pivotal point of the draw bar gained and also that vertical as well as hm-izonl'al motion is permitted to the draw bar, there being two pivot points at right angles to each other.

The coupling bar owing to its special conlhe base of the flaring portion ha a central struction is adapted to attachement to an automobile having the rear frame and spring structure above described, which is to be found particularly in the Ford car of extensive use at the. present time, and it has been difficult in the ast' to securely accomplish attachment a trailer to a Ford car because of its special construction. The adjustable means for coupling the draw bar giving pivotal connection on two planes is of course adaptable to any form of car.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a coupling bar for coupling a trailer to'tlie central portion of a frame piecewhich has an upward curve and is bolted to an upwardly curving spring at the point of attachment-,9, curved plate tolie along the curve beneath the spring, an aperture therein for clearance of the bolt, ahd lateral extending pti rtions having slanting holes,

therein to accommodate clips for'engaging over the base of the curve of the frame portion and flanges on said plate to engage on eachgside of the spring, as and for the purpose described. 2. In a coupling bar for colfifling a trailer to an automobile, a member for mounting the bar on the frame of the automobile, means for mounting a pivot .bolt vertically at the endof the bar, and a bifurcated piece ing, said plane, sai

bolt therein for securing the end of a trailer draw bar. v

3. In a coupling bar for coupling a trailer to an automobile, a member for mounting the bar on the frame of the automobile, a flaring housing on the end of the bar, havingan open end and a pivot bolt mounted vertically in said housing, and a bifurcated piece secured bysaid pivot bolt in the housiece having Walls in a vertical d walls pierced with aseries of corresponding to apertures 'adjustably mount a second pivot bolttherein for securing the end of a trailer draw bar.-

' 4. In a coupling bar for coupling a trailer to anautomobile, a member for mounting the bar on the frame of the automobile, a

housing on the end of the bar having-an open end and flaring horizontally anda. pivot bolt mounted vertically in said housin ,a trailer draw bar, sald mounting mem r being adapted to receive the end of said trailer draw bar, bosses in the housin "around the pivot hole, to provide a rounde contact for the draw bar end and a horizontal pivot in the draw bar beyond the housing for" the purpose described.

J ACQB Klfl'APP, 

